To celebrate the Fourth of July weekend, I decided to take a quick trip to the Twin City area. Since I only had a couple days to enjoy myself, I took on two attractions in the time I had: the Minnesota Zoo and Mall of America. Review of the Minnesota Zoo Minnesota Zoo Home - Minnesota Zoo The Minnesota Zoo had its beginnings in the 1960’s, when conservationists proposed that an enormous zoological establishment with naturalistic habitats be created. After a land area of 500 acres was donated in 1970, construction began in 1974. The Zoo then opened its doors for the first time on May 22, 1978. The animal collection today is made up of around 450 species with about 4,700 specimens. If I’m not mistaken, this is one of the “younger” major zoological facilities in the United States, and it definitely shows. Several exhibits are either very creative, naturalistic, or even both. This all makes up for the fact that this Zoo is somewhat limited in the collection, consisting mainly of critters from colder climates and some tropical species, but to be fair this Zoo decided to focus on and do something different, and it does that very well. Entry Plaza – After the fantastic first impression of Denver, this Zoo’s entry was a different story. There are two entries on each side of the plaza – South and East. I entered through the East entrance, and after a short peaceful walk through the forest I was greeted by…a giant mass of concrete. To my right was the Tropics Trail building, and to the left was the visitor center with educational areas, a food court, and a gift shop. While the gray concrete was not quite the prettiest sight to see when first walking into the Zoo, all was forgiven when I came across the first animal exhibit of the day – the Japanese macaques, which had an above average habitat with tall grass, a running stream, three pools, and a central hill with trees and logs (see my “Highlight of the Day” section for more about these guys! ). Visitors can check out the hardy primates in open views from ramps and a single viewing area, along with a few windows in the visitor center. Down the hall from the macaques is “Penguins of the African Coast,” a new addition in 2011. I wasn’t a huge fan of the exhibit, and was expecting more, but I felt it was an average-sized home for the African penguins; with some nice boulders and average-sized pool, it was not bad for being all indoors, just nothing fantastic. Also worth mentioning is the I-MAX theater that is adjacent to the visitor center. I decided to check out a show called “Pandas: The Journey Home,” a 45-minute movie about giant panda breeding efforts in China, and how scientists are working at reintroducing captive pandas to the wild. It was very enjoyable and nicely done! Discovery Bay – An aquatic facility that opened in 1997. This building is probably most known for being the former home of bottlenose dolphins, which were moved out in 2012. After a few empty years, renovations were made, and in May of this year, Hawaiian monk seals (a first for me) went on display. It’s great to see such interesting pinnipeds up close and underwater in their deep tank. Going upstairs, one will come across an arena where visitors sit and watch seal demonstrations at different times of the day, and see the seals above the surface. Unfortunately, the only land area I could see were some white platforms that I assumed the keepers also accessed for the demos. The monk seals may be the stars of this building (despite an average at best tank), but the surrounding area also had a few good parts. In the center of the room are two touch pools: one for starfish, crabs, and other invertebrates; the other for bat rays, horn sharks (I touched one), and leopard sharks. Nearby tanks also hold octopus (empty after the last one recently passed away); sea dragons (another first, and quite beautiful creatures I must say); seahorses; shrimp, a coral reef fish display; jellyfish (empty due to renovations); and a large mixed-species tank featuring stingrays, sharks (sand tiger and white-tipped reef), green moray eels, Atlantic goliath grouper, triggerfish, and more. In the end, this aquatic complex proved to be better than I thought it was going to be. Tropics Trail – Out of all the rainforest buildings I’ve seen, I’d probably put this one in the middle of the pack. To me, it seems like a mix between Denver’s Tropical Discovery and Brookfield’s Tropic World. It has a mix of good and bad exhibits, along with plenty of cool elements involving certain viewing areas and educational features. The journey begins with Madagascar, which consists of a radiated tortoise enclosure with a few wooden cut outs of now extinct-Madagascar wildlife behind it; a small exhibit for ring-tailed and red ruffed (the latter I didn’t see) lemurs; and a few tanks for hissing cockroaches and tenrecs. Up next is “Faces of the African Forest,” which opened in 2010. A nicely designed cave for African fruit bats has a glass window that looks out into an exhibit for dwarf crocodile and a variety of fish; a tree trunk allows for an above-head view of the pool – a nice touch. Up next is an okay mixed-species habitat for colobus and de Brazza’s monkeys, red river hogs, and rock hyrax. Viewing is through glass, mesh, and a crawl-through log with little windows – that’s pretty creative. Asia is the next segment encountered in this rectangle-shaped building. A sandy Komodo dragon pit with a large log in the middle is first seen, while across the path is a small aviary with Bali mynah and tortoises. Up ahead is a lagoon up featuring white-cheeked gibbons on an island, while a variety of duck species and lesser flamingos enjoy the surrounding water moat. The path’s other side features the smallest Asian small-clawed otter exhibit I’ve seen, a tall spectacular aviary for rhinoceros hornbills, and a lush aviary with species like Victoria crowned pigeon. The Asian animal theme is briefly interrupted by a tall but barebones enclosure for Matschie’s tree kangaroo. Visitors return to the Asia theme when they come across a mixed-species habitat for Malayan tapir (all-indoors ) and binturong (didn’t see the latter), followed by a tiny pen for a pair of Asian forest tortoise. Next is an above water view of a large Pacific reef tank that contains zebra shark, porcupine fish, bamboo shark (including a couple albinos), etc., and is probably the highlight of the entire building for me. After looping underground to view the beautiful reef under the surface, visitors reemerge above ground to check out the last two Asian exhibits: Visayan warty pig in a small exhibit that is way too rocky, and a red panda exhibit (the only non-tropical animals in the building) that is roomy and offers a good amount of climbing opportunities. The final section begins with a long dark hallway that used to be a nocturnal section, but was closed for future developments. The only two surviving enclosures here are for sloth and a huge Burmese python. After walking through the previously mentioned Asian aviary, a few South American exhibits serve as the finale. These exhibits include an aviary with scarlet ibis, a spoonbill species, among a few others I forgot; a decent-sized exhibit with golden lion tamarin and agouti; and a tiny minimally detailed enclosure for cotton top tamarin. Overall, Tropics Trail is a decent but unspectacular experience. Minnesota Trail – This is a small outdoor trail that opened along with the whole Zoo in 1978; however after a yearlong renovation, it reopened in 2007. The entrance actually juts out from the lobby area of Tropics Trail. After walking through a log cabin-like lobby with a few terrariums of reptiles and amphibians, visitors will come across the first exhibit - a nocturnal area resembling a house’s backyard at the edge of the woods. At the time of my visit, the Zoo was working on a mixed-species set up with red fox (a new arrival that was more dark gray in color) and raccoon (didn’t see). It’s a pretty interesting mix that I don’t recall seeing or even hearing about before. The exhibit’s definitely a unique design and decently sized for raccoons, but too small for the fox I saw. Up next is an aquatic area featuring a fish tank (species include musky, walleye, and largemouth bass), a nicely designed beaver habitat with a cool lodge and underwater viewing (empty on my visit due to the birth of babies last month), and a similar looking river otter exhibit. Visitors now walk along a covered pathway resembling the rooftop of a cabin with exhibits featuring forest creatures on both sides of the path. Most of these exhibits are fairly lush and surrounded by rocky cliffs, with plenty of vertical height that makes up for the lack of ground area with a few exceptions that will be mentioned. Up first are exhibits for porcupine/great horned owl and a pair of fishers. On the other side of the path are coyotes and gray wolves in side-by-side habitats that both have plenty of space and several trees. Around the next turn is a nice aviary for pileated woodpecker, and a pair of decent-sized wolverine habitats with plenty of grass, water and rocky areas. Across the path is a bald eagle aviary that is bare, but has a running stream and offers some good height. A pair of cat exhibits are the last two enclosures that follow the standard exhibit design of this complex – they feature cougar (kind of small for them) and Canadian lynx. The best part of this complex is also the finale – the large American black bear habitat, which just opened in 2012. This is probably the best exhibit for this bear species I’ve seen so far (sorry Knoxville ), complete with rolling hills, lush grass, a few logs that also allow for climbing, and even a small viewing area into a cave. It was really hard to choose between Minnesota Trail and Russia’s Grizzly Coast (coming up next!) as to which was the Zoo’s best complex; both have great species, creative designs, and mostly fantastic enclosures. I probably will go with Minnesota Trail due to its impressive use of a fairly small loop trek, but only by a small margin. Russia’s Grizzly Coast – An award-winning complex that opened up in 2008. There’s only five species on display in seven habitats, but holy moly it is so inventive, immersive, naturalistic…I could go on all day. The adventure starts in a plaza with a splash area, along with some very cool educational signs about the rural Russian area and the creatures that inhabit it. Visitors then enter an immersive rocky coast-like surrounding to check out the exhibits. First up is a great sea otter habitat (another first), with a deep pool with underwater viewing, and nicely designed rocky areas. The pair of otters was going through a training session with their keepers at the time of my visit, which was pretty neat to watch. Up next is a well-sized habitat for a trio of brown bears. The habitat itself is great with a running stream into a deep pool, grassy hills, a geyser, and a few rocky areas, but the viewing areas are what make this particular exhibit especially memorable. The first is the underwater viewing area of the pool, which is also alongside a small tank of trout. Next to it is a window into the bear den. Lastly, on the other side of the cave is a room with large windows and even an area for training demos. I had a bear walk right alongside the glass while I was standing there – awesome! Afterwards, the complex leaves the coastal theme behind, but not before coming across an interesting play area with a structure resembling a mammoth skeleton. A forest theme then takes shape, starting with an average sized and quality wild boar exhibit (another first) featuring three viewing areas: through mesh on one side of the exhibit, an open air view across the pool, and a glass window in an adjacent cabin. The cabin features various educational signs and info on conservation efforts in Russia. Finally, a trio of habitats serves as the home of the final species of Russia’s Grizzly Coast – the Amur leopard. Two of them are heavily planted with plenty of varied terrain and are not huge, but decently sized. The third habitat nestled in between these two, however, is quite small despite the average rocky design to it. On the whole, Russia’s Grizzly Coast is a fantastic complex with a creative theme and awesome species, and it is easy to see why many people adore it. Northern Trail – This “walk in the woods” features completely cold weather species in exhibits that all feature rolling hills, lush grass, plenty of trees, herds of roaming specimens, solid viewing areas, and of course, huge in size. The trail begins and ends with Amur tigers, but that will be covered in more detail in the next section of the review. For this section, we’ll start with the takin, which have easily the best exhibit I’ve seen for the species complete with a rocky waterfall and plenty of varied terrain. Next is an enormous plain with American bison (with three calves and two bulls that took a dip in their pond) and pronghorn, followed by a colony of prairie dogs (in an exhibit with plenty of dirt and areas to dig and situated in front of the two prairie hoofed mammals), goitered gazelle (another first), Bactrian camel (part of the exhibit is fenced off to allow for camel rides to take place), and Przewalski’s wild horse. The Northern Trail is briefly interrupted by a path that leads to a carousel and the musk ox habitat (another first), yet another huge enclosure with an enormous pond in the middle. Luckily I spotted the herd off to the side. Continuing down the path, one will come across a habitat for dholes (another first), originally home to Mexican gray wolves. The exhibit has two main viewing areas: one is through mesh, and the other is through an Asian-themed shelter. Viewing windows and some decent conservation signage about dholes await the curious visitor who wishes to see the unique canines up close and personal in the shelter. The final two habitats in this well-done exhibit loop (other than the soon-to-be mentioned Tiger Lair) are home to caribou and moose. One final note is that the Zoo used to have a monorail from the time the Zoo opened until 2013, when it shut down due to being beyond repair. The track still remains, and it was interesting to imagine that just a couple years ago, a monorail train roared over visitors’ heads as they watched bison, musk ox, etc. Amur Tiger Habitats – I understand the tigers are part of the Northern Trail complex. However, because Minnesota Zoo is probably most iconic for their tigers and the brilliant habitats they live in, I thought they deserved their own section of the review. The world’s largest cat species serves as both the first and last impression of the Northern Trail. The first tiger habitat is called Tiger Base Camp, and it’s unbelievable; I mean I was blown away by it. The enormous patch of forest, which held two felines on my visit, surrounds the visitor area, which is a long boardwalk that reaches out to the center of the exhibit. In the center is a display of the equipment that researchers would use when studying wild tigers – there is even a tracking device that visitors can control to point out towards the exhibit. While the exhibit lacked a pool, the immense size and insanely dense vegetation completely overshadow this flaw. The other tiger habitat is called Tiger Lair. Much like the first one, this exhibit, which held a single tiger, is another huge slice of the surrounding woodlands that almost completely hide the perimeter fence, giving it that immersive edge. There are a few different aspects that this exhibit has that the other lacked though; a good-sized pool for swimming, a set of large viewing windows on one side of the habitat, and an artificial elk carcass that I imagine the keepers use to stuff meat in during feedings. Both Amur tiger habitats are not just great for their inhabitants; they are extraordinary. The immense size and design of the enclosures make Minnesota hands down the greatest tiger habitat I’ve seen in any zoo I’ve been too. HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: The Japanese macaques proved to be the visit’s stars! Out of the four times I ended up passing the exhibit, three of those times I saw the monkeys being incredibly active. There would be a couple of them wrestling each other; or about four or five animals (juveniles and adults) would be chasing each other all over their exhibit, scampering over hills, on logs, and even into a pool. Even the babies would occasionally join in on the fun – what a blast! Overall: Minnesota Zoo is a prime example of what may be limited in one part, specifically the collection (but still solid for being restricted to cold weather, ocean, and rainforest critters), is made up for by another extremely impressive aspect in the form of mainly spectacular enclosures. I couldn’t believe how naturalistic, huge, unique, and immersive most of these exhibits were; some even rank as the best I’ve ever seen for particular species such as Amur tiger, American black bear, takin, and Amur leopard. This establishment has three incredible powerhouses that make this Zoo a must-see: Minnesota Trail, Russia’s Grizzly Coast, and Northern Trail. Tropics Trail and the Entry Plaza have their moments, and even Discovery Bay was a little better than I anticipated. In fact, the only real major problem I have with this Zoo is that I was hungry for more, which I guess is actually a good thing. Fortunately, the master plan will be addressing exactly that. The entry area will get overhauled, featuring a brand-new Japanese macaque habitat (opening in 2017), and a new “Prairie’s Edge” with bison, pronghorn, and prairie dog. Northern Trail will receive more Asian animals like snow leopards, markhor, Stellar’s sea eagle, and red panda (moving from Tropics Trail). There is also a seasonal African Trail complex that is planned as well featuring giraffes, lions, zebras, hippos, etc. (While I love African mega fauna, I’ll admit I’m kind of against this idea. Why have a whole African complex in a northern zoo when you’re only going to be able to see the majestic inhabitants for half the year?) I would put Minnesota at #7. This is between Brookfield (#6) and Busch Gardens Africa (#8). Minnesota Zoo is a really great, enjoyable zoological establishment that is well worth a look.
Thanks for this review M. Man, it's good to hear that the monk seals aren't as difficult to view as I've heard others suggest.
Thanks for the well-written review and it was a pleasure to read. I found myself nodding in agreement with just about everything you wrote, particularly your comments on the Amur Tiger complex and Russia's Grizzly Coast.
I really enjoyed this review. Thanks for updating us on what is going on at the Minnesota Zoo. With new management coming in soon it will be interesting to see how the future of the zoo develops...hopefully it will continue on the trajectory of excellence that Lee Ehmke and his team have developed.
I am sad to hear that the nocturnal section of Tropics Trail has still not been renovated since my visit 5 years ago!
DavidBrown, I do not know what animals were once there in the Tropics Trail nocturnal section, here's an excerpt from my May 2010 review: "Another cave is entered into an unadorned architectural hallway. A construction wall runs its length, blocking the former nocturnal exhibits that are now empty; it looks like there would have been room for 10 or so. A sign states that this area will be renovated in the future, while another one later mentions that reptiles and amphibians of the tropics will be coming soon. 3 small dark exhibits behind glass are still occupied and accessible at the end of this hallway and have fair detailing inside: one for Prevosts squirrel, one for pygmy loris (so cute!), and a larger one with a shallow pool for Burmese python."
Great review Milwaukee Man, glad you had a good time up there. Hawaiian monk seals... what a treat! Is the Minnesota Zoo the only place outside of Hawaii that has them? I know they are highly endangered, are they trying to start a captive breeding program or is it more for educational purposes?
I appreciate it, DavidBrown and Coelacanth18. About the Hawaiian monk seals: I believe I heard on here that Minnesota is indeed the only place outside the state that has the pinniped species on display, and that they came from Seaworld San Antonio. The seals are all females, but I imagine a male (along with maybe younger females) would be brought in eventually to try breeding.
TERRIFIC post on review of zoo. I have been there. Reading this post was like reading a good zoological book back in the day! Of course, as you stated I too am hungry for more!
Thanks for the detailed review. I need to make a trip there sometime soon. I'm with you, I'm not fond of the Africa Trail idea. Como Zoo has African species, I like that this one has cold weather species and I think more northern zoos should do this. Are there many hotels in the area? Is the zoo near Interstate 90 or 94?
